Posts Tagged ‘Neutrogena’

Seeing this on the blogs of other beauty bloggers, I thought I’d give it a try. The biggest difference is that mine is collected over a long period. I am not really fast in terms of consuming items, but I’m trying to be more diligent in collecting empties, and actually emptying stuff. That said, here’s my first empties post.

It’s not really a lot, but the one I’m kind of proud of is this set of Bifesta Cleansing Lotion empty bottles. I’ve started using Bifesta approximately at the beginning of this blog, so almost two years ago. Thus far I’ve only used up three (or four, I’m pretty sure I’ve tried the Sebum variant), and I’m currently trying out a new variant, Agecare. I really like how this makeup remover performs, and will always be my go-to for that purpose. I also really like the bottles, very well made. I will be keeping a collection of empty Bifesta bottles! (Bifesta Cleansing Lotion costs Php419 and available at Watsons.)

Next we have this Clinique 3-Step Trial Kit #2 (for dry-combination). About half a year ago I wanted to get into a good skincare habit, and decided to try Clinique. Luckily they provide a trial kit such as this, to see if it actually works for me before I commit to (huge) full size bottles. I think this set costed me something like Php950, and lasted me for about five months. Among these I really like the facial soap, but overall I think the 3-step system works for me. Unfortunately I won’t be rebuying because Clinique is not cruelty-free.

These next two are Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen SPF 50 and FCUK Pure Body Spray. As far as I know, the Neutrogena one is the best facial sunscreen I’ve used so far. I might rebuy this, because I’m having no luck in my current sunscreen trials. The body spray I got from a friend, I think. I’m really pretty indifferent to fragrance, as long as it’s not too strong. I’m probably not rebuying this either. I have no idea how much either of these cost.

Two Celeteque items are next: Celeteque Advanced Anti-aging Cleansing Oil (the old formulation) and Celeteque Hydrolyzed Moisturizing Mist. I’ve always liked the cleansing oil for removing waterproof makeup. I’m not really sad that this is phased out, as the new formulation is at least just as good if not better. The moisturizing mist is of course one of my most favorite moisturizers, especially since it’s a spray-on. It’s a tamad blogger’s best friend! It also comes in quite handy during summer. The mist costs Php350 and is available practically everywhere. I need to rebuy this, stat!

Lastly we have another batch of samples: Shiseido Ibuki Eye Correcting Cream, Shiseido Benefiance Balancing Softener, and Benefit It’s Potent Eye Cream. I think I got these in various BDJ boxes last year. The eye creams were not really remarkable, which means again I’m still on the hunt for an eye cream that works for me. The softener is amazing, though, especially when applied using a sheet mask. Very luxurious, and leaves my skin feeling ultra pampered! I’m might buy full sized as soon as I determine Shiseido’s stance on animal cruelty.

There we have it! I hope you enjoyed my first attempt at discussing my empties. I’m not really sure how often I’ll get to write something like this, but I will be diligent in saving up my empties.

Whew isn’t it super hot recently? This kind of heat can really addle the brain and result to some horrors if one is not careful. In the previous years I never really changed my routine with the season. However this year is so ridiculous that I needed to adjust, otherwise I’m pretty sure my face would have melted off by the end of the week. Let me show you what I am using on my face every morning recently.

These four products are my go-to in the mornings that I go out of the house. The first thing that touches my face after cleansing is the Celeteque Hydration Hydrolized Moisturizing Mist. In short, a facial moisturizer delivered by mist. I couldn’t really stand any heavier moisturizers and this is the one my face likes the best. This can has 120 ml and costs Php349. It’s quite large, which sadly makes it not portable.

Next one in is the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen (SPF50, PA+++). Before summer started, I’ve never been consistent with applying sunscreen as it always felt so heavy and sticky. Now though, I can ignore those factors as being protected from harmful UV rays is more imperative especially for maarteng skin like mine. Thankfully, this particular sunscreen seems pretty friendly to sensitive skin and hasn’t yet made me break out. This one is 30ml and costs Php460.

Finally, my face base is now exclusively powder. Anything liquid just melts right off the moment I sweat, which is basically anytime I get out of my electric fan’s range. Ellana Minerals Loose Foundation (shade: Caramel Latte) strangely enough stays put even if I sweat! I don’t understand the mechanics of it, but I’ll take it! With the added bonus of minimizing the appearance of my pores, I couldn’t really resist using this every single day. This tub has 6 grams of product, and costs Php460.

But wait, there’s more! Of course I shouldn’t ignore the rest of my body when thinking of harmful UV rays. I also am now more consistent in applying sunblock on my arms and legs, and my recent favorite for that is Celeteque Sun Care Face and Body Sun Defense Cream (SPF50). It doesn’t smell too horrible, but definitely it still smells like many body sunblocks out there. A little sacrifice to make sure I get total body protection. I’ve never tried this on my face. This is a 120ml tube, and costs Php449.

You may have noticed that I didn’t do an unboxing for the May Glamourbox. This isn’t because I was not able to subscribe, but rather because Glamourbox has decided not to be a monthly subscription anymore. How it works now is that they will release a box once they are able to fill one. I think that it is a great decision. Rather than releasing sub-par boxes, Glamourbox will be able to keep the quality of the subscription high.

The June box is the first box released since this decision. This month’s theme is Bridal Bliss, since June is is the most popular month to get married in. According to the welcome card, “In the season of weddings, we can’t help but feel the joy and excitement in the air! May our skin-perfecting beauty seletions prepare you for these blissful celebrations.” I am pretty excited about this theme since Glamourbox has already released the theme name weeks before they shipped the boxes. Admittedly I’m already married (almost 8 years!) but I wouldn’t mind recapturing that “bride feeling”.

This is how it looks like when opened. This view gave me a pretty bad first impression.

Yes, it’s yet another tube of Physiogel Intensive Cream. This is my third! (the other two from the June BDJBox and November BDJBox) Now granted it’s not any fault of Glamourbox that BDJ has included this product twice already, but I’m pretty sure Glamourbox should be watching their competitor. Hopefully the rest of the products make up for it. This is a full sized tube (50ml) which costs Php574.50.

In the order listed in the welcome card, let’s start with this sample tube of Mustela Stelatopia Cleansing Cream. At first I thought this was a facial cleanser, but the welcome card says it is actually a bath and shower cream. It’s also from Mustela, which means it’s specifically formulated to be gentle to babies. I will definitely give this a try. In fact, I’ll have my daughter (7 years old) try it! She has a similarly maarte skin like mine, so we can do a true road test of this and see if it makes her skin react. This is a 10ml sample, and costs Php47.50 (full size 200ml, Php950).

This next one is Isis Pharma Dermatologie Teen Derm Gel, which is an actual facial cleanser. It is, however, targeted for teens and adults who have oily skin. I’m not as oily as I once was, so I don’t think this product is for me. This is also a 10ml sample, which costs Php112.50 (full size 40ml, Php450). I’ve seen boxes online that has a different variant: they have the Mustela Physiobebe Cleanser, which I think is a makeup remover.

I’ve already mentioned the Physiogel Intensive Cream above, so let me move on to the next product. It’s Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Complete UV Moisture Sunscreen. This is an SPF50 sunscreen, and applies on sheer so it can be used underneath makeup. I am never against having lots of sunscreen products as I burn and darken easily with sun exposure, so I’m quite happy receiving this. It’s a good thing it’s a different product than the one I received with the BDJ Elite Box. I think this one is more moisturizing than the Dry-Touch. This is a full sized tube, 30ml, and costs Php460.

This next product is very intriguing: Barenaturals Skin Perfecting Primer. As I mentioned numerous times on this blog, I have quite a lot of pores so primers are my best friend. I’m quite excited about this primer since it claims to use natural ingredients (pro for sensitive skin!) and mattifies the face. It is also not that expensive, as the full sized product (30ml) is only Php398. It’s about the price of the Maybelline Baby Skin primer. One thing I noticed though is the sub-optimal packaging. What is with that spout?!

Barenaturals also has a second product in this box. It is the Lip Stix in I Love You This Smooch, which is basically a tinted lip butter. I’m quite a lip product enthusiast, so this one is actually my favorite in the box! This uses natural food-grade ingredients and is perfectly safe to use even by kids. Check out how unique the tube is! It’s very slim! This full sized tube (4g) costs Php148.

Lastly we have Nippon Cleansing Sponge. Unfortunately this is a repeat product for me, the first one appearing in the November BDJ Box. On the other hand, I actually really like this sponge because it’s quite durable and gentle on the skin. My daughter loves using this to wash her body. Getting a second set of sponges is actually good; it means I can retire the old ones. This 2-piece set costs Php65 (a full 10-pc set costs Php325).

We actually have a couple of vouchers in this month’s box. We have a free 55-minute class of Plana Forma at either of their branches (BGC or Centris Walk), and expires on October 31. I actually might try this one, as I am in dire need of exercise. The second voucher is a free session of underarm waxing at Wink Laser and Wax Studio (BGC), expiring September 30. I might avail of this as well (who doesn’t want to get rid of underarm hair??) since it’s free. Some boxes have a nail art voucher instead of the underarm waxing. I might actually prefer that!

My impressions of the June Glamourbox: Beyond the bad first impression (I didn’t really need a third Physiogel tube) I’m actually pretty happy with what I received. My favorites are the two Barenaturals products, and I can’t wait to try them. The vouchers are actually something I can use! The products actually match the theme in the sense that these products aim to make the bride’s face and skin perfect for her wedding day. I also like the fact that they introduced two brands I’ve never heard before (Barenaturals and Isis).

Value review: The total value of this box is a smidge above Php1800 not counting the voucers, which is relatively consistent with the previous boxes. If we remove the repeats, we will still have a value of Php1166 which is still about twice the subscription cost of Php595. Still great value, in my opinion. I think I am correct when I said that Glamourbox made a great decision in keeping high quality over quantity.

BDJ released their first Elite BDJ Box (Summer Indulgence) about a couple of months ago. I didn’t sign up for it because I couldn’t afford it at the time. Fortunately, Martha (The Beauty Junkee) hosted a contest in instagram with an Elite box for a prize, and I won it!

Even if there are already lots of unboxing posts of it, I’m still going to post mine as well as my thoughts on each item.

Warning: Photo-intensive post ahead!

The box is much bigger than the regular BDJ box, but it still has the distinctive BDJ logo and design.

That premium box feeling extends when you open it. Instead of the stiff paper sleeve you get a pink cloth sleeve. And instead of the standard welcome card, you get a pack of product cards that describe each item in detail.

Very elegant looking cards.

This is what you see upon opening the box. Lots of interesting items going on here! Let’s go left to right.

First up we see a familiar item. This is the 100ml version of Celeteque Advanced Anti-Aging Anti-Wrinkle Ultra-Hydrating Cleansing Oil (whew!). As you well know I am a huge fan of Celeteque, so I am very glad to get this. According to its card it costs Php599, but on Celeteque’s website it costs only Php369.

Next we come to a pair of Davines hair products. This is the Nounou Shampoo which is made for color-treated hair. Unfortunately I don’t have colored hair, so I might not be able to use this. Or, maybe this means I should go out and have it colored! This item is a 75ml sample, which costs Php306.30 (full size 250ml, Php1020).

And we also get the matching Nounou Conditioner, still for color-treated hair. It’s again 75ml, Php325.83 cost (full size is 250ml, Php1085).

For the first time, I am not displeased on getting a perfume sample. This one is Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy La Fleur. Check out that bottle! It looks pretty fancy, and the scent is very pleasant as well. This is a 5ml sample, which costs Php186.67 (full size 150ml, Php5600). Its corresponding product card carries a voucher that allows one to get a free Juicy Couture goody bag with Php4000 worth of items when purchasing 100ml/150ml of any JC fragrance at Rustan’s Makati. Unfortunately it only had 1 month validity and has expired last June 1.

This next one is a sample tube of Ahava Essential Day Moisturizer. I have heard a lot of good things about Ahava, and I am looking forward to trying this out. There were some Ahava samples released by Sample Room but I wasn’t able to catch any of it, so it’s great that BDJ has one in the elite box. This is a 15ml sample, which costs Php448.95 (full size 50ml, Php1495).

This one is the most controversial item in the box, as I’ve read in other blogs that this expires soon. This is ISkin New York Daily Sunshield SPF25. Of course I lost no time trying this out and used this as my main sunshield for a few days. Unfortunately my sensitive skin reacted to it and made my face itchy and red. I’ll give this to my mom as she has a more robust skin. This is a full sized tube of 57g, and costs Php2900.

This one is a full sized tube of Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF50. According to its product card this can be used for both the face and body. Too bad as we’re firmly into the rainy season these days, but I will definitely keep this for my next outings. This 88ml tube costs Php509.25.

I’m quite happy that there is one makeup item in here, and it happens to be a lipstick! I got Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Suede Lipstick in 045 Supermodel. I am so pumped up about this! I’ve been seeing posters of Olivia Wilde wearing them and I wanted to try them out. Supermodel is a deep mauve shade. This lipstick costs Php575.

Lastly we get a SureSlim voucher, which we saw before. It’s basically the same thing except this time it’s only Php1500 off.

My impressions of the BDJ Elite Box Summer Indulgence: On the overall this is a very sulit box, with a pretty varied range of brands. In particular I love getting the Revlon lipstick, the Ahava moisturizer, and the JC fragrance. It’s just that the Davines hair products are not for my hair type, which is the secondary reason why I didn’t buy this box.

Value review: For some reason the printed costs on the card for the sample sized items were mostly incorrect, if basing the sample’s cost on the full sized item’s price. The sample prices I put here are the ones I calculated, not the ones on the product cards. The total value of the items are Php5046, which is more than twice the cost of the subscription (Php1950). Unfortunately, almost half that cost is in only one item (ISkin sunblock). The ones I was really interested in costs a total of only Php1210.62, which wouldn’t have justified the subscription price.

I’m quite lucky to have own this box, and got to try these items for free. Thank you so much, Martha!